DECEMBER 11, 2015--During the week of December 7, OR&R’s Emergency Response Division conducted a Science of Oil Spills (SOS) class at the Inouye Regional Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Topics presented included oil chemistry, oil fate and movement, environmental impacts of oil spills and cleanup, oiled shoreline survey and cleanup techniques, and NOAA science tools for spill responders. NOAA Weather Service presented on weather support services for emergency response. NOAA marine mammal experts with the Pacific Islands Regional Office and Pacific Islands Fisheries Service Science Center presented information on spill and response impacts on marine mammals and also provided a tour of NOAA marine mammal response equipment and facilities at the Hawaii Inouye Regional Center. NOAA Damage Assessment, Remediation and Restoration Program (DARRP) staff talked about the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) process. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Contaminants Division in Honolulu presented information on oil impacts on marine birds. The class also included a special topic session on vessel groundings in coral reefs. Guest speakers presented information on grounding impacts to coral, restoration options for injured coral, and vessel salvage considerations.
The class included students from U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA Weather Service, NOAA Sea Grant, U.S. Navy Pearl Harbor, U.S. Marine Corps Kaneohe Bay, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hawaii Department of Health, and Hawaiian Electric Company.

For more information, please contact Nicolle.Rutherford@noaa.gov or Ruth.Yender@noaa.gov.

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